Soul Eater One-Shots
by Keldvok
Summary: A collection of my SE fics I've written on here and on Tumblr. Newest: "Christmas at Gallows Mansion"
1. This is Halloween? Crona's First Costume

This Is Halloween? Crona's First Costume

"Yo, Maka, could you get the cauldron ready? I don't wanna be waiting all night." Soul whined as he made ready the preparations for the Halloween party to be held at their apartment. Maka, not too thrilled with his derision replied, "It's just some candy Soul. Stop worrying your cauldron, all you have to do is just open a bag of candy and empty it in there. "And besides, I have to get my outfit ready before Crona and the others come over." "So which blonde are you deciding to be this year? You've already been Sailor Moon and Black Canary, and you've got to run out of blond chicks sometime," her partner said before he was abruptly silenced by the weight of an Ernest Hemingway collection crashing against his skull. "For your information, Soul," Maka responded, "I'm going to be Edward Elric. He's a great character, and gender stereotypes aren't very becoming of you."

As the Scythe struggled to his feet, he heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it," he said while muttering about the heaviness of the book. "Couldn't it at least have been a Doctor Seuss book?" he said as he made his way through the apartment. At the door, he overheard the obnoxious partner to the former Demon Swordsman yelling about his need for sweets. "I DON'T CARE WHAT THE SHE-COW SAYS, I'M TAKING ALL THE CANDY FOR MYSELF!" As Ragnorak continued to shout about his desire for candy, his partner decided to intervene before the situation got out of hand. "Ragnorak," Crona said, "If you don't behave, you won't be getting any candy tonight or any other. That's final." This didn't sit well with the sword, who immediately grabbed the pink haired swordsman by their hair and shouted "DON'T EVER THREATEN THAT AGAIN YOU LITTLE BRAT! CANDY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD THAT ONE CAN ENJOY!"

"Can I help you?" Soul said as he opened the door to the apartment. "Well….Maka said I could come early, and Ragnorak wouldn't leave me alone about his candy." "You're damn right," Ragnorak's voice finally coming down to a tone that wasn't screaming; "I want some candy tonight, and come hell or high water, I'm going to get some." Soul looked wryly at the pair of them and said, "Well, guess it couldn't hurt, come on in."

As the guests arrived and the party started, Crona began to marvel at the array of wonderful outfits. From Kid's impressive octopus outfit (which needed both Liz and Patty to move around in), Black Star's cliché Naruto costume ("Hey, it fits and even people who aren't god's will know who I am," he said to a tired Tsubaki who was willing to dress up as Hinata so they could match), and even Soul's modest, but cool impression of Frank Sinatra in his heyday. With all the people in costume around them, Crona began to wonder why they hadn't picked out an outfit, or why they were even there.

"Something wrong?" Maka said as she approached her nervous friend, reading the worried look on their face. "I don't have an outfit, and everyone else looks great. I feel like I'm the only one who just doesn't fit in here." Maka smiled and said "You are here because I wanted you to be here, and everyone else wanted you here too. Let's go to my room, and see if I can find something you can wear." A small smile crept across their face, and taking hold of her hand, followed Maka to her room.

"No, no, that won't do. Papa tried to have me wear this years ago, and I couldn't stand it." While Maka had tried to forget that he had left her home to watch movies on Halloween night so he could go drinking instead of the school party that they were to attend so many years ago, every time she saw the bunny costume, her blood began to boil. As she searched through her room, a thought popped into her mind. "I've got it! I've got just the thing," she said to the now startled swordsman.

A few minutes later, Crona emerged from the bathroom, worried about how the costume looked. "Well…..What do you think?" Maka smiled and said, "I think that you make an excellent Winry." Now it was Crona's turn to show surprise; "Who's Winry?" They said, their mind drawing blanks. "Don't think about it too much, you look great. I'll try to get you the books she's from after the party. They're really good, and you would love them," Maka answered, thrilled that her meager collection of clothes was able to fit Crona so well. This response seemed to satisfy their curiosity, and they joined Maka in returning to the party, happy knowing that they too, could enjoy Halloween with friends who loved them.


	2. The First Case

The nervous swordsman sat quietly in the corner, muttering to themselves "I...Didn't...Do...It..." over and over. Ugh, another witness who wasn't going to tell her the truth, Maka thought, hoping that her shift would be over soon, so she could head home and invest her time in a book instead of another case.

"What happened?" Maka pried, hoping not to startle them as they clutched their sword, which appeared to be a prop, but she wasn't quite sure.

"Well...I was on my way home, when a large snake came up and attacked me. I tried to use Ragnorak, but when I had finished killing it, the snake dissipated, leaving behind the..."

"What happened? What's your name?" Maka asked, hoping to get some answers. "My name...is Crona, and this is Ragnorak" they said, gripping the sword tightly.

Oh, the sword was named Ragnorak. Makes sense in hindsight, Maka thought, kicking herself for not deducing that earlier. She was glad that Kid wasn't there however, he wouldn't have been able to stay in the room without making some sort of comment about the unevenness of Crona's hair.

Now that she had made their acquaintance, she hoped to figure out what exactly was going on here.

"Ey, Maka! Night's getting late, wanna just take em, and we can sort this out at the station?" Soul chimed in, after spending his time outside the dimly-lit house to have a smoke while Maka worked with the witness. He was more of a protective services kind of cop, less the "tell me what happened here" type.

"Don't let the shark-toothed man take me!" Crona shrieked, hoping that they wouldn't be victim to another animal that night. Maka knew she had to move fast, so she quickly took hold of Crona's hands and spoke words of encouragement.

"We're your friends Crona, and we will help you find out what happened here tonight."

"Does that sound good?" Can we be your friends?"

The words sounded almost too good to be true to Crona's ears. They hadn't had anyone to rely on in a long time, and their mother was cruel to them, to say the least.

"You mean it? You can help?"

"Certainly."

Maka Albarn and Soul Evans were going to find out what happened to Crona that night, and nothing was going to stop them from getting justice. Just another day in the life of the DWMA police force.


	3. Heretic

"Lies. All lies? Could Lord Death really have been lying all this time?"

Justin sat alone is his study, poring over the ancient text that he had found. It was easy enough for the Death Scythe; no one was going to check the famous disciple of Lord Death for a library card on his way to the restricted section.

The dusty text spoke of old witches' long dead and ancient sorcery, with its age showing in between the crumpled and tattered pages. The book appeared to have been placed into the library as a kind of last request to a dying art form, and Justin was eager to find out everything he could now that he had access to the largest library of knowledge on magical and religious texts.

However, his excitement turned to horror as he laid his eyes on a page entitled The Gorgon Legacy. He began to read: "The Gorgon family began as the marriage between Mary Law and Khamai Gorgon, who were instrumental in the survival of the witch bloodline. Khamai took possession of the oldest child, Arachne, and Mary was escorted to Egypt by a coven of witches until she was found by Lord Death and eliminated."

"Mary Law? My mother was named Martha? And I'm somehow related to Arachne?"

"Stop it," the voice in his head told him. "Don't you see what's going on? They've been lying to you; all that time you spent on your knees and for what? You aren't one of them; you're just a dirty heretic with witch-blood in your veins."

"SHUT UP!" Justin shrieked as he threw the book against the wall and turned to face what he now saw as a twisted version of himself staring back at him. The book crashed into the jar of holy oil he had kept on the desk for religious observances, and the oil began to run along the ground, soaking his cloak.

"Why should I?" the other voice said with a sneer; "You know it to be true. It never bothered you that you knew nothing about your father? Not even once?"

"My father is dead. He served Lord Death faithfully. That's what Lord Death told me." Justin replied, his mind struggling to find the holes in his double's argument.

"Isn't that convenient? Lord Death would be the person to ask, wouldn't he? After all, he's never lied about anything. Except Asura, of course."

"How dare you besmirch his name! I have served him faithfully, and I will prove it to myself and you, once and for all!" Justin approached the candles that he always kept up at his desk for morning prayers, and began to struggle getting the lighter to work so he could offer up his prayer.

*HISS*

"Blasted thing! It was just working yesterday; why won't you work now?"

*HISS*

"Oh come on! I can't prove my undying loyalty if I can't offer up a simple prayer!"

*HISS*

"Lord Death, I beseech you! Let me deliver a prayer to you, and I will change the world forever!"

The shadow smiled with a black-toothed grin, knowing that Justin had forgotten all about the oil on his robes, and said "Oh, you're going to change the world alright."

*CLICK*


	4. The Magic of Christmas

As the snow began to fall in Death City, Crona Stein, formerly Crona Gorgon, found themself staring at the cardboard box that lay before them. Upon opening the package that was left on the porch, they found a letter inside from Maka Albarn that read:

 _Dear Crona,_

 _I know that this is your first Christmas in Death City, so I wanted you to enjoy one of my favorite Christmas traditions for yourself! Here's an Advent Calendar, with twenty five different gifts! There's usually only twenty four, but I wanted to make sure you got your Christmas present on time! Make sure to only open one a day, and don't let Ragnarok cheat, ok?_

 _Enjoy!_

 _Maka_

Crona's mind was perplexed by the strange gift, but before they could say anything, Ragnarok felt the need to give his opinion.

"That's it? A stupid calendar? No video games or guns? Lame," he said, shaking the calendar filled with boxes, hoping to guess what was in it.

"Actually...I think it's nice, Ragnarok. It looks like she put a lot of thought into this, and I'm sure it wasn't easy for her to afford this type of gift."

"I'm just hoping that it's 25 different kinds of booze. It's gonna be a long winter break, and I'll need all the help I can get to drown out that one-eyed nightmare's version of Silent Night."

Crona's eyes suddenly narrowed, their expression turning from one of curiosity into a look of hatred.

"Don't ever talk about Mrs. Marie like that again! She's been nothing but nice to us, and she hasn't done anything to deserve you talking about her like that!"

"Whatever. At least let me open the first one," Ragnorak replied, indignant, but not willing to push Crona further. Upon opening the box with the number one on it, they found a fountain pen, with a small note attached:

 _I know you like to write poetry, so I thought you should have something better than the cheap disposable ones at school!_

 _I hope this helps with your writing,_

 _Maka_

"That's really nice of her, Ragnorak, don't you think?" Crona inquired, hoping that their partner saw the appeal of the calendar.

"Eh, I prefer Reese's."

"Not everything can be candy, you know."

"Why not? Stein only gets cigarettes for Christmas."

"Not this year."

"Oh really? You planning on getting old Screwhead something?"

"I hope so."

Ragnorak looked confused, but decided to leave that discussion for another day.

"Hey Crona. Let's go get some dinner, and then we can watch a Christmas movie with Stein. I haven't seen any of them, and I'm going to make up for lost time."

After enjoying some spaghetti and watching _Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town,_ they drifted off to sleep, excited to see what else was in the strange gift that Maka had given them.

* * *

The next few days were spent watching movies and opening the calendar in relative peace. The gifts ranged from a deck of cards ("To play with Ragnarok when he's bored," the note read) to gift certificates for some of the books that Maka had suggested for them, but never got around to buying for them. They went to pick up the books every day and really enjoyed _Charlotte's Web_ , right up until the end of the book.

"Sh-sh-she didn't have to die. That's her reward? It's not fair!" Crona said, with their tears staining the pages and their hands balled in anger.

Ragnarok shouted," But she saved him! Isn't that enough?"

Wiping the tears from their eyes, Crona looked back at the demon-weapon on their shoulder. "But. . .I don't know if I could deal with the people I love dying….." they said.

"Oh, enough with the mushy crap, let's go watch _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ , I've heard Oogie Boogie is the sh…."

"You watch your mouth, Ragnarok," Marie said, cutting them off.

Ragnarok put on a pouting expression and mockingly said, "Yes, Mom," before heading to the living room to join Stein for the movie.

Crona woke up the next day, still in their robes from the night before. Heading over to the kitchen counter, they saw that Marie had made them breakfast and left a note telling them that she had work at the Academy, and that she would be home soon.

Content with this explanation, they went over to Maka's gift and began to open the box numbered 24. Their eyes lit up as they read:

 _Crona,_

 _For today's gift, I thought it would be fun to have a Christmas party. Inside the box is both a Christmas cookie and your invitation to the party. Try to be here around 7:00 and ready to have a good time!_

 _See you there,_

 _Maka_

They couldn't believe their eyes, and as Ragnorak began to stuff his face with the cookie, their thoughts moved around in their head at a breakneck pace.

 _She invited me to a party that she's been planning for over a month? How do you even plan a party that long in advance? I have to get ready! This is going to be fun!_

Ragnarok broke the silence, speaking with cookie pieces still in their mouth.

"You're getting ready at 9AM? Why? You've got all day"

Crona thought quickly. "Not all of us wait until the last minute to do something, Ragnarok. I really want this to go well," they said.

"Of course you do. You just want her to treat you like that dopey Ed kid in those books you read. I had to hide in this meatsuit for two weeks while you read that sappy crap."

Crona thought better of talking to Ragnarok further, and smiled.

 _There was a party tonight!_

* * *

"So, Soul. What do you think? Do the lights look good, or do I need something more festive?" Maka asked her partner, hoping to get a second opinion.

"It's just a party, you should really just relax," Soul replied. "But in all seriousness, it looks good. You did a great job."

Maka smiled." Now that's what I wanted to hear! This is going to be so much fun."

"Hey, just leave the music to me. Last thing we need is for someone to put on 'Christmas Shoes' and end the night with Black Star sobbing in the corner."

"Fair enough. For all his tough talk, he sure can be a softy when it comes to family."

They were interrupted by a loud banging on the door, and as Soul went to answer, the door swung open and Black Star came in singing about the joys of the holidays:

 _"Not gonna get you a diamond ring/That sort of gift don't mean anything/Not gonna get you a fancy car/Girl, ya gotta know you're my shinin' star."_

Horrified at the words spewing from his mouth, and knowing what lyrics came next, Tsubaki opened her tin of Christmas cookies and shoved one in his mouth. As he continued to talk with bits of cookie still in his mouth, he managed to mutter out:

"What? Guys can like JT too. That song really screams Christmas."

"That a fact, Black Star?" Stein said, as Crona and Marie filed in behind him.

"Sure! What would you know about the holidays anyway?"

"Enough to know that singing about your Freudian obsessions isn't very Christmas-like."

As the argument began to increase in intensity, they were interrupted by a bright purple puff of smoke and the lithe form of Blair appeared to put her hands between them.

"Hey, there's no time for that. We've got so much fun to have!" Blair said with a sanguine smile.

"Perhaps you're right, Blair. We'll table this autopsy of musical inquiry for later. Anybody have a light?" Stein said, reaching into his pocket to produce a cigarette.

"Yeah, outside" Maka said, not wishing to have her apartment smell like one of her father's ashtrays after he struck out in the pubs around the city.

"Fair enough," he said to Maka before turning to Marie. "Honey, take Crona inside. I need to go out for a smoke."

He leaned in closer to Marie."And pick up Crona's gift from the shop. Can you do that for me? I'll give you your present early," he said with a grin, trying to bribe Marie into going along with his scheme.

Marie's ears rang with the promise of early gifts, and a smile crept onto her face.

"No problem! Let's go Crona, time's a wastin!" Marie squealed as she dragged them into the house like a one-woman Christmas party.

Crona sighed, and recalling a movie that they had seen recently, responded with "Good grief."

* * *

The night was filled with fun and games, and while Soul was usually nervous about playing music for others, he thought that it would add to the "cool" atmosphere of the party; so after a night filled with caffeinated beverages and sugar cookies, he sat down at his keyboard and began to play Christmas classics.

After everybody joined in for a rousing number of 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas,' they all began to make the trek back to their houses so they could enjoy Christmas with their families.

Returning to their room for the night, Crona began to get ready for bed and recalled all that had happened that evening.

"Could you believe it, Ragnarok? That was so much fun! Black*Star was the only one to finish all that eggnog. He may not be a god, but he certainly drank like the ones in those books Maka gave me."

"That's because there wasn't any booze in it. While Spirit and Marie were getting plastered, I was stuck sitting in boring old you's body."

Crona said with an enormous smile on their face "I can't wait for tomorrow! It's going to be my first Christmas with Mom and Dad, and I get to open Maka's last gift? I don't know if I can deal with all that excitement."

"Go to bed, you big baby. I mean, seriously. You, the former Demon Sword, spent part of the holiday break reading _Charlotte's Web?_ At 16?

"It's supposed to be a classic, Ragnarok. She wanted me to read the best-known books so I can be well-read. Maybe you'll like some of the others she gave us."

Ragnarok twisted his face into a frown, suggesting an alternative.

"Let me know when there's robots involved. Or lasers. I love lasers. Where are the lasers?"

Turning over in their bed, Crona shrugged and said "Goodnight, Ragnarok. Merry Christmas."

* * *

The next morning, Crona was awakened by the smell of freshly made hot chocolate; Marie had kept her habit of getting up very early for Christmas from when she was a kid, and wanted to make sure that Crona got the same experience.

As Crona made their way down the halls, they were wrapped tightly in a hug from Mrs. Stein, who exclaimed "Merry Christmas Crona! And to you as well, Ragnarok! Ready to open presents? Stein's almost ready with the camera."

"That's because you said breakfast wasn't happening until I had this blasted thing set up so you could capture this moment in stunning visual quality," Stein said, as he positioned the camera so that every moment of the morning would be preserved.

"And I meant it, Franken. But when we're done with presents, get ready for the best French Toast you've ever had!"

"I'll have the fire department on speed-dial, just in case."

At this, Ragnarok chortled. "Good one Stein!"

Sitting down in front of the metal tree that Stein had crafted, Crona began to open their presents. They couldn't believe the things that they had received: from the telescope that Stein gave them to the new set of robes that Marie had hand-made, everything seemed too wonderful for Crona to take in.

They began to well up with tears, voice cracking as they spoke:

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I…don't….deserve….any of this….not after what I did."

Now it was Marie's turn to be curt:

"Stop. We love you, and that's more than reason enough to make sure you have a good Christmas."

Crona's head jolted up, and fixed their gaze on Stein and Marie. Marie wrapped her arms around Crona, holding them closely. Marie glanced over at Stein, sitting comfortably in his chair as he smoked a cigarette, and he nodded back as if to say, _go on._

"Now, with that said, we have one more surprise for you." She paused, biting her lip to hold down her grin. "Guess what? You're going to have a brother."

At this, their eyes widened.

"Really? I'm going to have a brother? I-I don't know if I can deal with being a sibling."

Stein laughed and said "I don't know how I'm going to deal with it either. But I'm sure we'll think of something…..right, Marie?"

"Absolutely. Now, Crona. I'm going to go get breakfast ready, so go get washed up, and we'll be ready shortly. And, oh!, Don't you have one more gift left to open?"

 _Of course!_ Crona thought. _Maka's gift! How could I forget?_

Running back to their room, they quickly found the last package of the calendar and began to open it with wild abandon. However, as they opened the box, their expression turned from one of joy into one of utter confusion.

 _What is this? A plant? Was Maka trying to play a prank?_

They inspected the plant further, noting the pointy, green, leaves and the red berries that were on it. They had rudimentary knowledge of plants used in medicine, as most witches' brews used plants, but they had never seen anything like it.

Finding no explanation for their gift or a note from Maka, they took the plant into the kitchen in search of an answer. _Dad's a scientist, he'll know what this is_.

"Uh, Dad?"

Setting his coffee down on the cloth tabletop, Stein began to relax in his chair.

"Yes, Crona?"

"Do you know what this is?"

Stein pushed his glasses up onto his face, and nodded. "Those damn Albarns. I remember when Spirit did this to Kami, and now she's doing it to you. I wonder if her father even knows," Stein said with a laugh.

"Knows what?" Crona inquired.

"Knows that she's trying moves right out his playbook. I didn't expect this, but I really shouldn't have been surprised. It's mistletoe."

"Mistletoe?" Crona said, anxious about what the strange plant was for.

Stein grinned, and leaned in to talk to them, trying to avoid having Marie within earshot of their conversation.

"Here's what I'm going to recommend you do. Stay here and enjoy breakfast first. When you're done, put on something other than those ridiculous pajamas Marie bought you and head straight to Maka's apartment with the mistletoe. She'll know you're coming, so don't worry about startling her."

"And then what?" Crona asked curiously.

"Now who am I to spoil the magic of Christmas?" he said with a smile.

Grasping them by the shoulders, Stein chuckled and said, "Merry Christmas, Crona. Merry Christmas."

"Now who's ready for breakfast?"


	5. Fairy Blue

"Lone Wolf Tattoo, Huh?" Ragnarok shot Crona a puzzled look. "Are you sure you're up for this? I get The Wannabe God's need for one, but you're the last person I would guess to come here."

"Well….." Crona responded, shrugging their shoulders. "I've heard it's a really personal thing, and I think I can deal with a few needles for what I have in mind."

They walked into the parlor, and found themselves a seat in the large establishment, which smelled of disinfectant and fresh ink. As they began to flip through a magazine on the nearby table, a familiar face began to walk towards them unnoticed.

"Crona? Is that you?" She said nervously. Remembering that the last time she had seen the Demon Sword, there was nothing but trouble for her gave her reason enough to be cautious.

"E...E…Eruka?" Crona stammered out, eyes widening in both fear and surprise.

"Yeah….We were able to make it out, so we took up the only thing one of us was good at."

Crona narrowed their eyes.

"We? Who else is with you?"

Free turned to face them, tattoo machine in hand. "Hey, kid. Sorry about everything, but I had to keep her safe, you know? Loyalty and such. I had no love for..."

He paused, struggling to find words to describe Medusa that didn't involve profanity.

"That woman," he said, having chosen something safe enough to mask his true feelings for the witch who had hurt Eruka in such a vile manner.

"Well, let's call it a draw, Jacob. I'm assuming you and Croak here own the place?"

Crona moved to put their hands over Ragnarok's mouth before they decided to say anything worse.

"Ragnarok, be nice," they said with a frown on their face.

Free threw his head back and said, "It's no problem, once an idiot, always an idiot. Actually, we don't own the place, because that would draw too much suspicion from the DWMA."

He paused. "However, having family ties is quite helpful when looking for work," pointing at the Celtic crest on the wall.

"If it makes you feel better, we only steal what we can't afford now" Eruka chimed in with a nervous giggle.

"Dear, that's everything."

Eruka pouted, in acknowledgment of their circumstance.

"Guilty as charged."

Scowling, Free turned to face Crona.

"Let's get back to why you're here. If...that woman didn't send you, why would you come into some hole-in-the-wall on the outskirts of the city?

Crona muttered out "Be…cause…I want to get a tattoo."

"WHAT?!" Eruka responded, almost flipping the table. "After all the experiments, you still want needles in your skin? I won't allow it. Free, tell them they can't."

"They're grown now. If they want something, I'm not going to stop them."

Eruka's face began to contort in shapes more befitting her family name, but as she began to protest, Crona spoke up:

"All…..those times, I didn't have a choice. I do now, and I can deal with it."

Eruka paused, seemingly lost in thought.

"I guess you're right. Can you tell me where you want it?"

Crona took their hand out of their lap, and showed her the back of their hand.

"Right there in the center."

Free spat into a nearby wastebin, with a look of concern on his face.

"I've gotta tell you this before we get started. This is gonna hurt. A lot. Are you absolutely sure about this?"

Crona nodded.

"I've been through worse"

"Fair enough, come on over and have a seat."

* * *

"Now. Make sure you keep that away from sunlight for a few days, and keep it bandaged up for a few hours. I know you heal quickly, but try not to overdo it."

Crona nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Free, and you too Miss Eruka"

Opening their wallet, they began to produce the money needed for the tattoo when Free stopped them.

"This one's on me. It's the least I can do for you, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon."

"Alright."

"And Crona?"

"Yes, Mrs. Eruka?"

"Take care of that Maka girl. You've met someone really special, especially someone who could take down that….woman and the Kishin."

Eruka grinned.

"And besides, I'm sure Free will be wanting a rematch whenever it's safe for us to ask for asylum from the DWMA."

"Damn right." He muttered, putting away his equipment.

Crona nodded.

"I will. See you later!"

Free waved back, while his arm draped around Eruka's shoulders.

"Wait a minute. They called us Mr. and Mrs. You don't think….?"

* * *

"So, what'd you get? A Dragon? A Robot? Both, both would be good! Tell me what the Demon Sword got to instill fear in all their opponents!"

"A fairy."

"REALLY? THAT'S ALL?"

"A…a blue fairy, actually."

"WHAT ON EARTH WOULD HAVE POSSESSED YOU TO GET A…..OH HELL NO, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THAT BLONDE BOOKIE, IS IT?"

Crona smiled.


	6. Take a Break

"Ready, Free? Time for Movie Night!" Eruka exclaimed, reaching for her tub of popcorn that she had mixed pieces of candy into. She had waited all week for tonight, and she beamed at the prospect of taking a break to spend time with her boyfriend after a long and arduous time at work.

"Alright, gimme a second." Free said with a playful outrage, reaching into the fridge for a cold beer before sitting down on the couch next to her. "So, I'm just wondering, why mix gummies into the popcorn? That sounds like it wouldn't work at all."

Eruka chuckled. "It's great! Salty and sweet, all in one bowl, and all within my reach."

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Eruka said, the warm glow of the TV lighting the room just enough so that they could still see each other's faces. Pulling her blanket up, Eruka tried to scoot closer to Free, who had already leaned back against the brown couch which had seen its fair use from previous owners; if the coffee stains were any indication.

While they couldn't afford much in their one-bedroom apartment, Free was able to barter his services to the couple down the street in exchange for their old TV, allowing for some source of entertainment while they figured out a way to make a decent living for themselves.

The first film, a sci-fi adventure movie that Eruka had been wanting to see for a while, had proven to be less then satisfying…

"What? They're trapped on the moon? That's how you're going to end it?" Eruka said as she rolled her eyes at the TV. "I could have wrote a better ending myself."

"Maybe it'll get a sequel?" Free responded, as he lumbered over to the aged refrigerator that sat in the corner of the room. Returning to the worn-out couch, he handed her an orange soda, and sat down with his bottle of water.

"It better," Eruka murmured, sticking her tongue out to remind the TV screen of her disappointment. "Hey Free, Let's watch something else. I'll never be able to sleep if that's the last thing I have to see tonight."

"Well, go ahead and pick something if you want, it's your choice tonight."

Flipping through the TV, she found a movie that she liked; a romantic comedy set in a medieval world. While she knew that Free didn't always enjoy romance movies, she figured that the swordfighting and great set design would satiate his often-present film snobbery.

To her surprise, Free found himself laughing along with the movie, and even caught him holding back tears when as he watched the film's protagonist eulogize his now-dead father as his wife gripped him tightly.

When the movie ended, Eruka began to stretch herself out on the couch. As her head lay in Free's lap, he began to run his fingers through her silver hair. As her breathing began to slow and her eyes closed in rest, she whispered to him:

"Free….."

"Yeah?"

"I love Movie Night."


	7. Beelzebub

"Hey, Kid, stop! You're going to…crap." The red-haired Death Scythe swore under his breath as he realized that he had spoken far too late, as he saw the young Reaper fly over the handle bars of his bike and careen into the concrete pavement. As part of Lord Death's command to look after Kid, Spirit thought that teaching the pre-pubescent Kid one of the fundamental children's activities would be no problem; His little Maka had figured it out, so no problem, right?

Kid, ever resilient, had made up his mind not to cry, even as his skinned knees continued to bleed. Although Spirit knew he would heal quickly, due to being a Reaper, whether Kid knew that was anyone's guess. "Are you okay? What happened?" asked Spirit. "The handle bars were uneven. You can't ride when they aren't even, everyone knows that," Kid retorted. Spirit Albarn had never heard anything so absurd, he had to look away from the pint-sized reaper to avoid laughing and making the situation worse. He composed himself, looked Kid in the eyes and said "Let's just get you cleaned up, and we can go see your dad, okay?" Kid nodded, and a few bandages later, Kid and Spirit made their way towards the DWMA.

* * *

"Oh, Spirit, I wish you would have let me know that you were thinking of doing something like this," Lord Death said with a monotone voice that made Spirit nervous. Suddenly, Spirit's fears were relived as the old Shinigami joyously said to Kid, "Come here, son, I have something for you that'll make this all better!" The young reaper's eyes went wide, with a curious look and an excitement in his voice that numbed the pain, even for just a little bit.

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do. Now, stretch out your hand." His son obliged, and put his hand within reach of his father. With a flick of his wrist, the elder Death conjured up a skateboard for him, embodied by Shinigami magic. "See, when you ride this, you won't have to worry about handlebars anymore! Just maintain your balance, and you'll have a blast."

Kid thought to himself _; it's perfect! The skull design on the deck of the board matched his father's mask, and he would get to keep it with him wherever he went,(as the magic allowed Kid to conjure it when he needed it.)_

"What's it called, Daddy?"

Lord Death thought for a second, and clapped his hands together and laughed at his own cleverness.

"How about Beelezbub?"


	8. Flyentology

(Author's Note: Technically, this takes place in the Re-Ignition Universe, but there's nothing here that would prevent it from being in main SE Canon.)

"Mommy, the cassettes won't listen!" The little girl exclaimed to her mother, holding the orange tape-deck in her hands.

"Oh Blair, you've got it in backwards. It's okay, I've got it," Adelaide said as she took the player from Blair and re-adjusted the set. Having solved the first of many problems that were sure to occur, Adelaide smiled and wrapped the orange headphones around her daughters head, making sure they were snugly in place. "Ready to go? Nevada is going to be so much fun, I promise you. Daddy and the others are already on the plane, and we really shouldn't keep them waiting.

Taking Blair's hand, Adelaide guided her towards the plane that held her husband's private jet. As someone who had made a living selling expensive fashion, Thomas felt that his job allowed him to give the best to his wife and children, and Nevada would be the perfect place to both raise them and have a lucrative career of his own.

Walking up the steps, Thomas smiled and waved towards his wife and his youngest child. "Hey, Pumpkinhead. Were you a good girl for mommy?" Blair grinned from ear to hear and responded with a short "Mmhm." "Alright!" he said with a smile and an exaggerated fist-pumping motion. "That's what I wanted to hear. Now go sit down, and we'll be ready to take off shortly, okay?" "Yes sir!" she said, as she bounced up and down the aisles, making her way to where her brothers and sisters waited. "Thomas, you really spoil her. She's gonna be a handful when she's older," Adelaide said with a laugh as she wrapped her arms around her husband.

"What can I do? She's adorable. You know I can't resist a good woman with an attitude" he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.

"And….We're off!"

* * *

The clunking sound of the engine giving way was only matched by Thomas' shouting towards the back of the plane. "Honey, grab Blair, now!"

"What is it, Thomas?" Adelaide said with a worried look on her face; Thomas never shouted at her, and his panic was worrisome. As she ran to the back, Thomas grasped the planes radio frantically.

"Is anyone there? Can someone help us?" he said before realizing that where they were, no one would be able to answer them. _Dammit, what am I going to do? This engine's stalling, and we're in trouble. Come on Thomas, think! Oh, I got it!_

"You have Blair yet? He shouted towards the back of the plane, where a happy Blair sat, orange headphones playfully cradling her small head. He reached for the map, trying to make a guess as to where they were in the midst of the storm. "Now, honey, this is going to be a rough landing, but I'm gonna have to put this this thing in the water. Strap in and prepare for a bumpy landing!"

"What's going on, Mommy?" Blair exclaimed, having noticed the worried look on her mom's face.

"Just a little plane trouble. Hold onto mommy, and let's listen to some music. That always helps me when I'm afraid."

"Ok, mommy"

* * *

Blair awoke in a long white room filled with the smell of antiseptic and mothballs. Men and women in uniforms and medical equipment were dashing around madly. _Wait, this wasn't Daddy's plane….WHERE WERE THEY!_ Blair said out loud, unaware that her thoughts had taken voice without her knowledge.

"Blair….Your father's plane went down…..I'm so sorry, but they're gone now."

The nurse spoke softly, unaware of how to handle breaking such difficult news to a child so young. As Blair's lip began to quiver, the nurse panicked. "Hey, I've got something you might want! How about this?" She said, handing the orange headphones to the now-crying child.

"I don't want music, I want my mommy!" Blair wailed, her screams muffled by the pillow she had curled into her chest.

* * *

"Jesus, what a nightmare. She's the only one out of eleven people to survive the crash. How does that even happen?"

"Look, Roy, there's no time to worry about that now, we just need to be sure that she's alright, and get her paperwork filled out." Her partner shot her a scathing glance, but reluctantly agreed.

As they went into the hospital room, however, they were horrified to see an empty bed, and a non-existent child. An orphan girl now roamed the streets, orange headphones around her head, and a fierce look in her eyes. Her world had changed overnight, and so would she.


	9. Christmas at Gallows Mansion

"Can you give me a hand with the tree, Kid?" Liz said, as she stood on the stepladder that helped her reach the top of the family tree. "Liz, I need to supervise from over here" he said, with glass of eggnog in hand, standing next to the island in the kitchen. "Without me being over here, how will we know if it's symmetrical?"

"Fine, if no one wants to do anything fun, I'll do it myself," Patty Thompson said before gleefully charging her way through the kitchen and jumping on the ladder, causing it to wobble. "Patty, you're gonna get her killed!" Kid shouted. "Silly Kid, she can just transform and be fine, stop having heart failure" she said, placing the star on top of the tree with an impish delight.

"Speaking of heart failure, you almost gave me a heart attack, Patty" Liz said, a look with a mix of mirth and annoyance on her face as she regained her footing. "Well, there's no time for that, it's almost midnight, and everyone will be over here tomorrow for Presents, I mean, Christmas" Patty opined. "Goodnight everybody!"

* * *

The next morning, Gallows Mansion was in full operation, from the gingerbread DWMA on the dining room table, to a design of Lord Death's mask entirely made out of Christmas lights. As people began to pile in, Kid began to greet them:

"Good morning, Maka, Merry Christmas"

"Nice to see you Kid, Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas, Soul!"

"Hey, Kid. Merry Christmas"

"Merry Christmas, Tsubaki"

"Merry Christmas, Kid"

"Happy Hanukkah, Professor Stein"

"Merry Christmas, Kid."

"Hey, Crona, Merry Christmas"

"Thanks, Kid, Merry Christmas"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, KID!"

"Merry Christmas, Black Star. Now, can you stop suffocating me with that hug?"

"Merry Christmas, Kid!"

"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Marie."

"Now, where are the others?" he asked Marie.

"Well, I know the other weapons and meisters are having a party of their own, but I imagine that Spirit and Lord Death himself are probably just drunk somewhere"

"Of course they are…..well, thanks for coming."

"Any time, Kid."

* * *

The next several hours were delightful for Kid, who got joy in the happiness of others far more than anything he ever received. Whether it was seeing all the couples jockey for position under the mistletoe, or just watching them unwrap gifts that he had spent the year curating for each person in attendance, it felt like the perfect day.

As everyone left to go home, he headed up to his room for a long and refreshing nap. As Liz got into bed, she wrapped her arms around him and said "you know, you really do know how to show a girl a good time."

Just before they drifted off to sleep, however, they heard a loud voice from the other end of the house, belonging to one, very loud, Patricia Thompson:

"SO, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR NEW YEARS?"


End file.
